It’s hard to avoid hardcore enjoying the life of a University student. Especially early on in your studies. My first two or three semesters of the Bachelor’s Programme in Business and Economics basically consisted of three things: not attending lectures, drinking alcoholic beverages at noon (you know this thing called pre-pre-pre-drinking that one does before partying, which I physically cannot do anymore) and losing track of what day of the week it is. It may not be the healthiest, but it sure is a very simple recipe for a festive lifestyle. Who would ever have thought that that consensual romance thing going on between me and life would fade? Even if I somehow knew this would only last in the short run, I really ignored it.
But, newsflash: time flies! I know you know that, but my last four semesters accumulated feel like no more than solid six months. I am now at my fifth semester, taking the C-course in Accounting & Finance which could be the most boring thing I have ever experienced. It’s all hedging this and goodwill that, and I frankly don’t care for it. It’s a difficult course though, and I really have to pass. Plus I need to spend like 40 hours a week studying. So I need to spice up this life to cope with it. So. This is me giving my younger, perkier self a handbook on how to make the best out of this colorless life.
First of all I think you should utilize your acting skills and imagination. At the early ages of my life, I often pretended I was in a documentary. So on occasion, I’d turn to the fake camera and say something like ”yeah so that’s basically a day of my life” or just do that facial expression of Jim Halpert from the Office. I have actually tried this pretending thing once or twice in the past few weeks, impersonating an accounting professor or something (of course I do it all in my head), and it sort of works. I take on the part as a corporate finance genius, showing the audience what it’s like to master this tricky subject as if they’ve never seen anything that impressive before. It doesn’t necessarily help you to learn all about it but it does make it more fun.
You also need to treat yourself as if you were your best friend, your mom (I picked moms since they usually tend to rock) and significant other combined. Basically your ultimate favorite person. Guide yourself as you would have guided them. Like, if you don’t feel like eating that icky oatmeal for dinner tonight then just don’t. Stop the self pity and buy yourself a large piece of expensive cheese or something. No one will feel sorry for you since we’re all in the same boat, and you will also smile like at least 15-20% more for the rest of the night if you do that. You should also sleep in regularly, and all of that. Being the martyr is not really a sexy look on anyone, and you wouldn’t tell your favorite person to put it on either.
And when you really do have time off, carpe the crap out of it. It’s so so easy to get anxious and stressed out when you’re done for the day and go home to Netflix and chill by yourself. When you’re done for the day just let the chores go. Like, not even any email checking or schedule
planning. Then on the other hand, you also need to work hard as hell when you really do work. Study, study, study, and then afterwards, you chill like crazy. Enjoying it. Just so that you really can feel that calm at the end of the day. That ”I really really deserve this” kind of calm. For me that’s been one of the hardest things to do throughout life.
I do feel a bit pretentious talking about life guidance and boosting mental health. And I’m not really trying to give you that philosophical seize-the-day kind of speech. This is, again, purely me trying to convince my self publicly that I can, and will, cope with getting older. Me dealing with the breakup with a life that once served me fun on a platter. Feel free to join if you also need a little picker upper. GLHF to you and me!
Photos: Uppsalaekonomerna and iContractor.net
